


Wearing the Inside Out

by amethyst-noir (Arbonne)



Series: Prompt Collection [5]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Butterflies, Getting Together, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Wong is the best friend Stephen could ever wish for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-07-12 13:38:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15996326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arbonne/pseuds/amethyst-noir
Summary: “Stephen?” he asked softly. “Everything okay? They’re yours, aren’t they? But they look different than last time…”Stephen's magic likes Tony and shows it through butterflies (and other things).





	Wearing the Inside Out

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [【授翻】Wearing the Inside Out/溢于言表](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16166186) by [Clover_cherik](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clover_cherik/pseuds/Clover_cherik)



> I'm always desperate for inspiration and then this fluttered into my inbox:  
>  _and for the future prompt: if you wanted to maybe you could write something where Stephen's magic goes wild whenever he is experiencing strong emotions? So when he falls in love with Tony everytime he gets flustered around him innocent magical thing start happening und everyone is trying to figure out what's going on while Wong is just laughing in the background. (Imagine if everytime Tony smiles at him little butterflies show up and when tony touches him little electric sparks show up!)_
> 
> The title is, once again, taken from a song. A Pink Floyd one, actually. It has nothing to do with the story but it's awesome anyway.

The first time it happened Stephen didn't even notice. He was too busy concentrating - and getting frustrated by his slow progress - on the new spell he was trying to master to notice the silent and harmless storm around him.

"Stephen!"

Wong's voice cut through his concentration. He looked up just in time to see the last of the magical blue and violet sparks fade away.

"Yes?" He blinked, surprised at the darkness that had fallen in the library. He'd started shortly after noon, there was no way it was almost dark now, wasn't there?

"Here." Wong deposited a cup of tea on the table near him. "There's something to eat in the kitchen, if Your Highness decides to join us mere mortals in consuming food." He looked almost worried as the gave Stephen a calculating look but decided against saying something. He turned around to leave. "Oh, and Stark called. Something about a meeting? You didn't tell me that you're an Avenger now."

Stephen's mind still wasn't quite back and it took him a moment to understand. "Tony? What? Why? Avenger?" No answer. Stephen shrugged and decided to take a break before he tried again. He would give Tony a call tomorrow.

Stephen was too dumbstruck and Wong wasn't even in the room, so nobody noticed the tiny butterfly that suddenly appeared near the teacup and faded the moment his thoughts turned away from Tony Stark and back to the damn spell. It just had enough time to flutter its wings once or twice.

*

The next time, in the middle of an informal meeting - or party, as far as Stephen was concerned - at the compound, was unfortunately quite more noticeable. Not only for Stephen, who wanted to open up a portal to the next dimension and just vanish for a century or so, but for everybody else, too. "Everybody else" being half the Avengers, Wong and one Pepper Potts, ex-fiancée and very close friend of Tony Stark.

It had started innocently enough with him and Tony talking. About nothing in particular, just a little bit of gentle banter, mixed with arguments about magic versus science. Then Bruce Banner came along and the banter moved on to become serious scientific debate.

Stephen was in heaven. To be able to talk about his passion with people who could not only follow his explanations but, in the case of Bruce, could also talk back was wonderful. Tony didn't have that much to contribute but he understood and Stephen could _see_ how he assimilated everything. A vague thought about him and Tony in other circumstances crossed his mind but the shoved it away, quickly. Some things were better kept to privacy of his bedroom. But then Tony had the audacity to not only smile at him but also pat him on the arm. Bruce seemed to develop some magical abilities from one moment to the other because he was there one moment and just _gone_ the next.

"You want another one?" Tony asked and gestured to the drinks tray. Stephen wanted to but didn't dare. It wasn't a good day with his hands and he didn't want to embarrass himself. Tony took him a little more firmly by the elbow and lead him away behind a plant. Then he went and got a colorful, fun looking something with a guaranteed high alcohol content, only to set it on the rail before them. "Here you are. Take your time, I won't tell anyone. Or, if you want to..." By the heavens was that a _coy_ look from _Tony Stark_? "... we can move on to another, more private location? The guys down there won't miss us, Thor's going to entertain them for hours. It's okay if not. Is just thought..."

_Help me._ _Tony is flirting with me._

Tony Stark was flirting with him and it was about as subtle as a moon crashing down; not a trace to be seen of the suave playboy he'd been portrayed as in the trashy tabloids years ago. Which Stephen absolutely did not read. Ever. His former opinion on one Tony Stark was built on cold, hard facts gathered from… somewhere else.

Before he could absorb and react to heavy bombardment of flirting two things happened:

"Oh my god, that's so _cute_! Where do they come from?"

Scott's shout drew the attention of everybody and a few seconds later half a dozen grown up people were clustered around a couple mid-sized but still very beautiful butterflies. This time they were a startling blue and seemed to look up at their audience as if unsure why they were here.

Wong took one look at the fluttering collection and gave Stephen a hard stare. "Seriously?" he mouthed in Stephen's direction. "Get it under control, you're embarrassing yourself and me."

_Get what under control?_ He shrugged helplessly - which earned him an eye roll from Wong, before he went and joined the others in looking at the butterflies. He said something to Pepper and her amused laugh echoed across the room. 

Stephen cringed in embarrassment and confusion. He could feel the magic in the air around him, knew that it was his own, but what he didn't know was where it came from. He hadn't done anything, hadn't he? Regardless, the could feel a blush creeping up on his face.

Tony was watching him, while the rest of the people were still cooing over the butterflies. Thor, the God of Thunder, laughing like a little boy as a small blue butterfly slowly explored his arm was an image that would stay with him for a long time. But Tony? No, Tony was concentrating on _him_.

Another one of the butterflies appeared near them and landed on Tony's shoulder. He held out his finger and smiled at it. "Stephen?" he asked softly. "Everything okay? They're yours, aren't they? But they look different than last time…"

On Titan. Not something he wanted to think about now. Or ever again.

He didn't have an answer and his blush deepened. He couldn't hold Tony's eyes anymore and looked away, down the railing and out into the night.

He was still trying to cope with the invasion of the butterflies and searching for something to say, when Tony touched him again. He looked up, surprised, as Tony took his left hand and held it gently. His fingers were tracing the path of the scars and the metal beneath the skin. While he couldn't quite feel the touch thanks to the damaged nerves he could feel the warmth on his cool skin. That contrast and an incredible tender look from Tony was all it took. Blue fire began to spark around them. It quickly took over the plants near him but didn't burn them and it didn't make any sound at all.

Interestingly, Tony didn't even flinch, just held on and stared wide-eyed at him. "That's… Stephen, that's _beautiful_." He looked at the colorful fire that wound its way from their entwined finger up their arms, enveloping more and more of their bodies. Stephen dared to reach out and take Tony's other hand. The fire intensified for a moment before it faded away to almost nothing. A few tendrils still wound itself around their hands and arms, binding them together.

"I think that's a sign, don't you think? I've never had anyone approve of me like that," Tony whispered, grinning slightly. They were still holding hands like teenagers and not doing anything else.

Stephen swallowed, suddenly nervous. "Do you mind if we take this to a more private location? I don't want to have our first kiss in front of an audience."

Thankfully, all the others were still busy playing with the tame butterflies to pay them any attention. Except for Wong, of course, who was again staring at them and making shooing motions. "Get out of here!" was practically shouted in their direction. "And have fun!" he added and winked at _Stephen_ , who was left speechless as Tony led him away to the quarters he still had at the compound.

*

The butterflies - released into the wild the next morning - stayed at the gardens around the compound, multiplying every year, incorporating new colors with each generation.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [here](https://amethyst-noir.tumblr.com/post/177490201836/and-for-the-future-prompt-if-you-wanted-to-maybe/).


End file.
